Black truffle tree – Turkey oak

Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) mycorrhized with Black truffle (Tuber melanosporum).

container size: 6 x 6 x 13 cm

Black truffle – Tuber melanosporum (Périgord or French Truffle)

Season: October – March

The iconic ‘Périgord’ truffle is the finest black truffle, undoubtedly the king of all truffles. It is normally round and has a slightly rough surface. Its carpophore has a grayish-brown color with shades of black. They live in symbiosis with hazelnut and oak trees, in the Mediterranean in particular. The black truffle is primarily harvested from October to mid-March, and has an exquisite, very strong, robustious, and musky aroma.

Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) is a large, fast-growing deciduous tree naturally found in southern Europe and Asia Minor. Here, it is usually one of the dominating deciduous tree species in mixed forest stands.

The tree’s timber is of poor quality compared to other oak species and is primarily used for temporary constructions and firewood. The tree is a pioneer species and is able to quickly colonize open areas, making it useful for reforestation, erosion control and soil conservation. It can withstand air pollution, is relatively tolerant to drought and has an attractive appearance; thus, it is often planted as an ornamental in urban areas. Turkey oak is also locally used in traditional medicine and is an ecologically important species as its acorns and young coppice shoots are eaten by numerous animals.

Turkey oak is light-demanding but is able to grow under canopies which allow a certain amount of light to pass through. The tree grows on a wide range of soils, as long as conditions are not too dry.

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